DOCSLIB.ORG

30933 A] by the Late Gen. Moshe Dayan [For Whose «*]L, Agudat Israel Parties

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
30933 A] by the Late Gen. Moshe Dayan [For Whose «*]L, Agudat Israel Parties 32159 KEESING'S VOLUME XXIX Majrifc MIDDLE EAST-ARAB WORLD A. ISRAEL — Presidential election - Party and Government, parliamentary and party developing. government changes - Other internal developments Mr Begin announced on Dec. 22, 1981, the format^ "Ministerial Defence Committee", composed of nine mini; including Mr Ariel Sharon, the then Defence Minister. «g t Election of Mr Chaim Herzog as President (March 22, Itzhak Shamir, the Foreign Minister(bothmembersof Mr fa.. own Herut party), as well as representatives ofthe NRP ^ • 1983). Re-establishment of Ministerial Defence Committee Tami party. The committee—the equivalent of that set up in 1975—** te (December 1981). 27043—had been called for by the Agranat Commission f"Hlft|_/ Party changes and related developments (January 1973 to investigate allegations of unpreparednessin Israel's w&tftefe 1982 to February 1983). at the outbreak of the Yom Kippur war—see page 26368). Tht cokf Series of no-confidence motions (January toMay tee's original function was to maintain close control over the 9*, forces, but it wasalsobelieved that Mr Beginsawit as an"inner cah». 1982). useful for informal and confidential decision-making, since itsdtck, El Al crisis (May 1982 toJanuary 1983). and deliberations would not be made public. Death of Gen. Moshe Dayan (Oct. 16, 1981). Mr Aharon Abu-Hatzeira, the Minister of Labour, fc Controversy over proposed appointment of ambassador Welfare and Immigrants, and leader of the Tami party, n% to UK (February 1983). his ministerial post on April 23, 1982, after being convicta! Military changes following Kahan report (March embezzlement of funds (when he was Mayor of Ramie in If:; and sentenced to a suspended prisonterm of four years and*.; 1983). months. [For his indictment immediately following hisacq**, inMay 1981 onothercharges ofcorruption, seepages 30933^| The Tami central committee selected Mr Aharon Uzan, hnh? the Deputy Minister forIntegration of Immigrants, as his rapt* The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) on March 22, 1983, elected ment, the party having been guaranteed a cabinet post v- Mr Chaim Herzog (64) as the sixth President of Israel in suc government agreement reached on Aug. 4, 1981, between »• cession to Mr Itzhak Navon, whose term of office was due to Likud front on the one hand and the Agudat Israel, NRP* expire atthe endof May 1983 and who had announced on Jan. Tami parties on the other[see pages 31119-20]. 31 that he would not seek re-election. [For Mr Navon's.election Two Likud deputies, Mr Ammon Linn and Mr Itzhak f&nti& asPresident in April 1978see 29147A.] defected to the opposition Labour Party on May 18,1982,*; Mr Herzog, the candidate of the opposition Alignment, leaving the ruling coalition with only 59 out of 120se*t*4frJ*- received 61 votes in the secret ballot in the Knesset; there were Knesset. The Begin Government's majority was restored »W*^ two abstentions and 57 votes for Mr Menachem Elon, the candi 16, however, when Mr Yigael Hurwitz and Mr MordecMiWe« date sponsored by the ruling coalition—which comprised the Porat joined the Likud following the dissolution -of-4h*jpta». Herut and Liberal parties (together making up the Likud front), ("State Renewal") party, which had been formed in 1981 j the National Religious Party (NRP) and the Tami, Tehiya and 30933 A] by the late Gen. Moshe Dayan [for whose «*]L, Agudat Israel parties. October 1981,see below], but whichhadbeen unable to1 Since the ruling coalition controlled 64 seats in the Knesset, it whatwere described as"wide ideological differences'. was evident that seven of its members had failed to support Mr On July 4 it was announced that Mr Ben Porat had been . Elon. The three Tami ("Israeli Tradition") deputies were an additional Minister without Portfolio. believed to havesupported Mr Herzog (who was a friend of Mr The Government's position in Parliament was. Nessim Gaon, Tami's financial patron), and others also report strengthened on July 23 when the secretariat of the ritf edly preferred himbecause he was better known nationally than Tehiya ("Rebirth") party, which had three deputies L. ^ Mr Elon, aSupreme Court judge whose reputation was confined Knesset, voted by 21 to seven to join the ruling coalition. V mainly tolegal and scholarly circles. (Dr Joseph Burg, the Interior retaining its individual party identity. Minister and NRP leader, had on March 7 declined to stand in On July 25 Prof. Yuval Ne'eman, the leader of Tehiya: l» the presidential election, although he had the support of Mr formation inOctober 1979 [see page 30108] and one of Israeli Menachem Begin, the Prime Minister; Mr Burg's nomination nuclear scientists, became Minister of Science and Technolog had reportedly been opposed bythe Liberal and Tami parties.) increasing the size of the Cabinet to 20. Mr Herzog was born inBelfast in 1918, subsequently moving toDublin Series of motions of no confidence, January W when his father became Chief Rabbi of Ireland. He was educated at Cambridge and Sandhurst, and saw active service in the British Army May 1982 in the Second World War, rising to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and Prior to this augmentation ofthe ruling coalition, a*? assisting in the capture of Heinrich Himmler, the head of the Nazi SS ment's continued existence had been threatened \>y*!*zLi organization. On the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, he motions ofnoconfidence, which were, however, defeat became head of military intelligence with the rank of major-general. After leaving the Army in 1962, he worked as a journalist, gaining in the Knesset. national fame with his broadcasts during both the 1967and 1973wars. On Jan. 26, a motion of no confidence in the Governme Heserved asthe Israeli permanent representative attheUnited Nations of the evacuation from Sinai was defeated by 55 votes from 1975 to 1978, and was elected to the Knesset asa Labour deputy 31906], following a defeat for the Government by 50 previous day in a Labour-sponsored motion calling for I in June 1981. 1983 KEESING'S VOLUME XXIX 32160 May of compensation due to be paid to thesettlers. On March 23, a that the Labour Party was ceasing to act as an effective opposition to *• of no confidence in the Government's policies on the occupied the Government and that it had moved significantly to the right during Uwies resulted in a tied vote of 58 to 58, Rabbi Haim Druckman the period of the Begin administration.Therefore, the membersclaimed, K•pi voting against the Government in protest at the decision to they did not rule out the possibility of forming a new party if this trend VH wfrom Sinai [ibid.]; a tied vote on such a motion was officially were to continue. * Icrcd as a procedural victory for the Government, although Mr In a separate development, it was announced on July 27,1982, r'." reportedly suggested resigning, being subsequently persuaded to that, following agreement between the Likud and Labour parties, f'n in office by cabinet colleagues. On March 24, a motion of no the local authority elections, due to be held in November 1982, (I-nee in the Government's budget proposals produced an identical would be postponed to July 1983, because of the continuing war 4result, Rabbi Druckman again voting against the Government. On u 19 amotion of no confidence in government economic policy was in Lebanon. Labour Party sources privately admitted that the ji'aicd by 58 votes t057-in sP'te of tne oefection of tw0 Likud deputies party's reason for agreeingto the postponement was the fear of the labour party the previous day [see above], since both the deputies suffering heavy electoral defeats due to Mr Begin's personal l-n belonging to Telem abstained, as did one of the Tehiya deputies. popularity following Israeli victories in the war. Formation of new party within ruling coalition Sentencing of Mr Flatto-Sharon following reports of increasing differences of opinion within On Jan. 11, 1983, Mr Samuel Flatto-Sharon, an independent ihc NRP. particularly over the issue of Israeli withdrawal from Knesset deputy from 1977 to 1981, lost his appeal against a Sinai, it was announced at the beginning of February 1983 that conviction on charges of electoral bribery during the 1977 elec •new party, Matzad ("Rally of Religious Zionism"), had been tions, and was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment. (Mr fvtablished, with Rabbi Druckman as its principal founder and Flatto-Sharon had originally sought election to the Knesset as a hist leader. means of gaining parliamentary immunity and thereby avoiding Ii was believed that the new party would have widespread support extradition to France, where he faced imprisonment for fraud, •oaai members of the Shvut Yisrael ("Whole Land of Israel") faction forgery and tax evasion—see pages 28534-35; 30108; 30934; rflhc NRP, formed byRabbi Druckman inMay 1982, which was opposed 31119.) 11 my territorial concessions by Israel. Rabbi Druckman stated at the um; of Matzad's formation that he would continue to support the EI Al crisis - Further economic developments interning coalition. During the summer and autumn of 1982, El Al, Israel's Developments within opposition parties national airline, was subject to a series of bitter industrial disputes There was considerable speculation in early 1983 that former over both religious and economic issues, which came close to Ficsident Navon might return to party politics and replace Mr resulting in the airline's liquidation. Shimon Peres as leader of the Labour Party. (Mr Navon was The Government announced on May 2, 1982, that it would lormcrly a Labourdeputy in the Knesset from 1965 to 1977 and take steps to implement one of the clauses of the August 1981 chairman ofthe foreign affairsand defence committee from 1975 agreement between the Likud and the religious parties, which lo1977-see 29147 A.) stated that El Al would cease to operate flights on the Sabbath Public opinion polls conducted in January 1983 revealed that the and Jewish holidays.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Glass Bottle Thrown at Area Rabbi University of Arizona Partners With
    HEADLINES | 4 SPECIAL SECTION | 14 BANKING ROSH HASHANAH Scottsdale looks to open A special partnership its first community bank for this year’s in over a decade Kever Avot SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 | ELUL 27, 5779 | VOLUME 71, NUMBER 38 $1.50 Glass bottle thrown University of Arizona partners with at area rabbi JNF for agriculture initiative NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER n an effort to boost global agriculture, the n Saturday, Sept. 14, East Valley JCC CEO Rabbi Michael University of Arizona has signed a memo- Beyo was walking home with his two children from I randum of understanding with the Jewish morning services. At around 8:45 a.m., two people in O National Fund and Israel’s Arava region to a white sedan heading toward the trio veered closer to the curb establish The JNF Joint Institute for Global and threw a glass bottle from the passenger side in the direction Food, Water and Energy Security. of Beyo. The memorandum was signed on Sept. 12 “[The passenger] with his head and torso out the window by JNF President Dr. Sol Lizerbram, JNF looked at me as the car drove away from us and shouted Joint Institute Project Co-Director Udi Gat something that I did not understand,” Beyo said. “When the and Dean of UA’s College of Science and object smashed on the ground, a few feet from behind us, is when Vice President of Innovation Dr. Joaquin I knew that it was glass.” Ruiz. After Beyo confirmed no one was harmed, he had the unenvi- Jewish National Fund President Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel's National Religious and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict
    Leap of Faith: Israel’s National Religious and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict Middle East Report N°147 | 21 November 2013 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Recommendations..................................................................................................................... iv I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Religious Zionism: From Ascendance to Fragmentation ................................................ 5 A. 1973: A Turning Point ................................................................................................ 5 B. 1980s and 1990s: Polarisation ................................................................................... 7 C. The Gaza Disengagement and its Aftermath ............................................................. 11 III. Settling the Land .............................................................................................................. 14 A. Bargaining with the State: The Kookists ................................................................... 15 B. Defying the State: The Hilltop Youth ........................................................................ 17 IV. From the Hills to the State ..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • ISRAEL Date of Elections: 30 June 1981 Purpose of Elections
    ISRAEL Date of Elections: 30 June 1981 Purpose of Elections Elections were held for all the members of Parliament following premature dissolution of this body. Previous general elections had taken place in May 1977. Characteristics of Parliament The unicameral Parliament of Israel, the Knesset, consists of 120 members elected for 4 years. Electoral System Every Israeli national at least 18 years of age is entitled to vote. Although no persons are expressly disqualified from voting, certain cannot do so because they are not provided with polling facilities; these include prisoners or persons abroad who are not seamen. The electoral register is drawn up at the national level and revised annually. Voting is not compulsory. Every qualified voter at least 21 years of age may be a candidate for the Knesset unless he has been sentenced to imprisonment of five or more years for violation of national security, where five years have not elapsed since the prison term was completed. The following people are also barred from being candidates: the President of the State; the State Comptroller; salaried rabbis; judges; and senior civil servants and army officers of a certain rank, unless they cease to hold their posts 100 days before election day; where a more junior civil servant or army officer becomes a candidate his service is suspended until election day and, if he becomes a member of the Knesset, so long as he is a parliamentarian. A list of candidates may be presented either by 1,500 members of the electorate or by a party group represented in the outgoing Knesset.
    [Show full text]
  • Privatizing Religion: the Transformation of Israel's
    Privatizing religion: The transformation of Israel’s Religious- Zionist community BY Yair ETTINGER The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. This paper is part of a series on Imagining Israel’s Future, made possible by support from the Morningstar Philanthropic Fund. The views expressed in this report are those of its author and do not represent the views of the Morningstar Philanthropic Fund, their officers, or employees. Copyright © 2017 Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 U.S.A. www.brookings.edu Table of Contents 1 The Author 2 Acknowlegements 3 Introduction 4 The Religious Zionist tribe 5 Bennett, the Jewish Home, and religious privatization 7 New disputes 10 Implications 12 Conclusion: The Bennett era 14 The Center for Middle East Policy 1 | Privatizing religion: The transformation of Israel’s Religious-Zionist community The Author air Ettinger has served as a journalist with Haaretz since 1997. His work primarily fo- cuses on the internal dynamics and process- Yes within Haredi communities. Previously, he cov- ered issues relating to Palestinian citizens of Israel and was a foreign affairs correspondent in Paris. Et- tinger studied Middle Eastern affairs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is currently writing a book on Jewish Modern Orthodoxy.
    [Show full text]
  • Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-13864-3 — the Israeli Settler Movement Sivan Hirsch-Hoefler , Cas Mudde Index More Information
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-13864-3 — The Israeli Settler Movement Sivan Hirsch-Hoefler , Cas Mudde Index More Information Index 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the, 2 Ariel, Uri, 76, 116 1949 Armistice Agreements, the, 2 Arutz Sheva, 120–121, 154, 205 1956 Sinai campaign, the, 60 Ashkenazi, 42, 64, 200 1979 peace agreement, the, 57 Association for Retired People, 23 Australia, 138 Abrams, Eliott, 59 Aviner, Shlomo, 65, 115, 212 Academic Council for National, the. See Professors for a Strong Israel B’Sheva, 120 action B’Tselem, 36, 122 connective, 26 Barak, Ehud, 50–51, 95, 98, 147, 235 extreme, 16 Bar-Ilan University, 50, 187 radical, 16 Bar-Siman-Tov, Yaacov, 194, 216 tactical, 34 Bat Ayin Underground, the, 159 activism BDS. See Boycott, Divestment and moderate, 15–16 Sanctions transnational, 30–31 Begin, Manahem, 47, 48, 118–119, Adelson, Sheldon, 179, 190 157, 172 Airbnb, 136 Beit El, 105 Al Aqsa Mosque, the, 146 Beit HaArava, 45 Al-Aqsa Intifada. See the Second Intifada Beitar Illit, 67, 70, 99 Alfei Menashe, 100 Beitar Ironi Ariel, 170 Allon, Yigal, 45–46 Belafonte, Harry, 14 Alon Shvut, 88, 190 Ben Ari, Michael, 184 Aloni, Shulamit, 182 Bendaña, Alejandro, 24 Altshuler, Amos, 189 Ben-Gurion, David, 46 Amana, 76–77, 89, 113, 148, 153–154, 201 Ben-Gvir, Itamar, 184 American Friends of Ariel, 179–180 Benn, Menachem, 164 American Studies Association, 136 Bennett, Naftali, 76, 116, 140, 148, Amnesty International, 24 153, 190 Amona, 79, 83, 153, 157, 162, 250, Benvenisti, Meron, 1 251 Ben-Zimra, Gadi, 205 Amrousi, Emily, 67, 84 Ben-Zion,
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins of Hamas: Militant Legacy Or Israeli Tool?
    THE ORIGINS OF HAMAS: MILITANT LEGACY OR ISRAELI TOOL? JEAN-PIERRE FILIU Since its creation in 1987, Hamas has been at the forefront of armed resistance in the occupied Palestinian territories. While the move- ment itself claims an unbroken militancy in Palestine dating back to 1935, others credit post-1967 maneuvers of Israeli Intelligence for its establishment. This article, in assessing these opposing nar- ratives and offering its own interpretation, delves into the historical foundations of Hamas starting with the establishment in 1946 of the Gaza branch of the Muslim Brotherhood (the mother organization) and ending with its emergence as a distinct entity at the outbreak of the !rst intifada. Particular emphasis is given to the Brotherhood’s pre-1987 record of militancy in the Strip, and on the complicated and intertwining relationship between the Brotherhood and Fatah. HAMAS,1 FOUNDED IN the Gaza Strip in December 1987, has been the sub- ject of numerous studies, articles, and analyses,2 particularly since its victory in the Palestinian legislative elections of January 2006 and its takeover of Gaza in June 2007. Yet despite this, little academic atten- tion has been paid to the historical foundations of the movement, which grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Gaza branch established in 1946. Meanwhile, two contradictory interpretations of the movement’s origins are in wide circulation. The !rst portrays Hamas as heir to a militant lineage, rigorously inde- pendent of all Arab regimes, including Egypt, and harking back to ‘Izz al-Din al-Qassam,3 a Syrian cleric killed in 1935 while !ghting the British in Palestine.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel in 1982: the War in Lebanon
    Israel in 1982: The War in Lebanon by RALPH MANDEL LS ISRAEL MOVED INTO its 36th year in 1982—the nation cele- brated 35 years of independence during the brief hiatus between the with- drawal from Sinai and the incursion into Lebanon—the country was deeply divided. Rocked by dissension over issues that in the past were the hallmark of unity, wracked by intensifying ethnic and religious-secular rifts, and through it all bedazzled by a bullish stock market that was at one and the same time fuel for and seeming haven from triple-digit inflation, Israelis found themselves living increasingly in a land of extremes, where the middle ground was often inhospitable when it was not totally inaccessible. Toward the end of the year, Amos Oz, one of Israel's leading novelists, set out on a journey in search of the true Israel and the genuine Israeli point of view. What he heard in his travels, as published in a series of articles in the daily Davar, seemed to confirm what many had sensed: Israel was deeply, perhaps irreconcilably, riven by two political philosophies, two attitudes toward Jewish historical destiny, two visions. "What will become of us all, I do not know," Oz wrote in concluding his article on the develop- ment town of Beit Shemesh in the Judean Hills, where the sons of the "Oriental" immigrants, now grown and prosperous, spewed out their loath- ing for the old Ashkenazi establishment. "If anyone has a solution, let him please step forward and spell it out—and the sooner the better.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of Israeli Municipal Policy in East Jerusalem Ardi Imseis
    American University International Law Review Volume 15 | Issue 5 Article 2 2000 Facts on the Ground: An Examination of Israeli Municipal Policy in East Jerusalem Ardi Imseis Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/auilr Part of the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Imseis, Ardi. "Facts on the Ground: An Examination of Israeli Municipal Policy in East Jerusalem." American University International Law Review 15, no. 5 (2000): 1039-1069. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in American University International Law Review by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FACTS ON THE GROUND: AN EXAMINATION OF ISRAELI MUNICIPAL POLICY IN EAST JERUSALEM ARDI IMSEIS* INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1040 I. BACKGROUND ........................................... 1043 A. ISRAELI LAW, INTERNATIONAL LAW AND EAST JERUSALEM SINCE 1967 ................................. 1043 B. ISRAELI MUNICIPAL POLICY IN EAST JERUSALEM ......... 1047 II. FACTS ON THE GROUND: ISRAELI MUNICIPAL ACTIVITY IN EAST JERUSALEM ........................ 1049 A. EXPROPRIATION OF PALESTINIAN LAND .................. 1050 B. THE IMPOSITION OF JEWISH SETTLEMENTS ............... 1052 C. ZONING PALESTINIAN LANDS AS "GREEN AREAS".....
    [Show full text]
  • Administration of Barack Obama, 2016 Statement on the Death of Former
    Administration of Barack Obama, 2016 Statement on the Death of Former President Shimon Peres of Israel September 27, 2016 There are few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history, not just through their role in human events, but because they expand our moral imagination and force us to expect more of ourselves. My friend Shimon was one of those people. Shimon Peres once said that, "I learned that public service is a privilege that must be based on moral foundations." Tonight Michelle and I join people across Israel, the United States, and around the world in honoring the extraordinary life of our dear friend Shimon Peres, a founding father of the State of Israel and a statesman whose commitment to Israel's security and pursuit of peace was rooted in his own unshakeable moral foundation and unflagging optimism. I will always be grateful that I was able to call Shimon my friend. I first visited him in Jerusalem when I was a Senator, and when I asked for his advice, he told me that while people often say that the future belongs to the young, it's the present that really belongs to the young. "Leave the future to me," he said, "I have time." And he was right. Whether it was during our conversations in the Oval Office, walking together through Yad Vashem, or when I presented him with America's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom, Shimon always looked to the future. He was guided by a vision of the human dignity and progress that he knew people of good will could advance together.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Ultra-Orthodox Political Parties in Israeli Democracy
    Luke Howson University of Liverpool The Role of Ultra-Orthodox Political Parties in Israeli Democracy Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy By Luke Howson July 2014 Committee: Clive Jones, BA (Hons) MA, PhD Prof Jon Tonge, PhD 1 Luke Howson University of Liverpool © 2014 Luke Howson All Rights Reserved 2 Luke Howson University of Liverpool Abstract This thesis focuses on the role of ultra-orthodox party Shas within the Israeli state as a means to explore wider themes and divisions in Israeli society. Without underestimating the significance of security and conflict within the structure of the Israeli state, in this thesis the Arab–Jewish relationship is viewed as just one important cleavage within the Israeli state. Instead of focusing on this single cleavage, this thesis explores the complex structure of cleavages at the heart of the Israeli political system. It introduces the concept of a ‘cleavage pyramid’, whereby divisions are of different saliency to different groups. At the top of the pyramid is division between Arabs and Jews, but one rung down from this are the intra-Jewish divisions, be they religious, ethnic or political in nature. In the case of Shas, the religious and ethnic elements are the most salient. The secular–religious divide is a key fault line in Israel and one in which ultra-orthodox parties like Shas are at the forefront. They and their politically secular counterparts form a key division in Israel, and an exploration of Shas is an insightful means of exploring this division further, its history and causes, and how these groups interact politically.
    [Show full text]
  • It Is Fitting That We Come Together Today, on the Day the Members Of
    I would like to begin by thanking David Berger and the other Keshet organizers for allowing me to submit a paper to be read to you in my absence. I am, regrettably, unable to be in New York today, but am grateful for the honor of having been asked to participate in this way, nevertheless. My talk is entitled: Svara, Queers, and the Future of Rabbinic Judaism According to Masechet Sanhedrin [5a], there are two requirements for one who wants to exercise rabbinic authority—one must be both gamirna and savirna. Now, what do these Aramaic terms mean? Gamirna implies that one has to have amassed sufficient knowledge or learning. Basically, they gotta know their stuff. And savirna implies they have to have the ability to exercise svara. But what is this svara that is so crucial to functioning as a rabbi and to interpreting God’s will? It seems pretty straightforward: svara, the ability to be “savir,” “reasonable.” The capacity to reason. But, actually, svara is much more complicated, and, it turns out, is not only a prerequisite for those aspiring to rabbinic authority, but is probably the most significant source of Jewish law we have. After the destruction of the Second Temple, our founding Rabbis increased the number of places to which they could turn to discover God’s will—that is, the sources of Jewish Law—from one to five. In addition to our old standby—a verse in the Torah, which they called kra (and which legal scholars call midrash)—they added ma’aseh (precedent), minhag (custom), takkanah (legislation) and last but not least, svara.
    [Show full text]
  • Hamas Attack on Israel Aims to Capitalize on Palestinian
    Selected articles concerning Israel, published weekly by Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim’s (Baltimore) Israel Action Committee Edited by Jerry Appelbaum ( [email protected] ) | Founding editor: Sheldon J. Berman Z”L Issue 8 8 7 Volume 2 1 , Number 1 9 Parshias Bamidbar | 48th Day Omer May 1 5 , 2021 Hamas Attack on Israel Aims to Capitalize on Palestinian Frustration By Dov Lieber and Felicia Schwartz wsj.com May 12, 2021 It is not that the police caused the uptick in violence, forces by Monday evening from Shei kh Jarrah. The but they certainly ran headfirst, full - speed, guns forces were there as part of security measures surrounding blazing into the trap that was set for them. the nightly protests. When the secretive military chief of the Palestinian As the deadline passed, the group sent the barrage of Islamist movement Hamas emerged from the shadows last rockets toward Jerusalem, precipitating the Israeli week, he chose to weigh in on a land dispute in East response. Jerusalem, threatening to retaliate against Israel if Israeli strikes and Hamas rocket fire have k illed 56 Palestinian residents there were evicted from their homes. Palestinians, including 14 children, and seven Israelis, “If the aggression against our people…doesn’ t stop including one child, according to Palestinian and Israeli immediately,” warned the commander, Mohammad Deif, officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “the enemy will pay an expensive price.” has killed dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Hamas followed through on the threat, firing from the operatives. Gaza Strip, which it governs, over a thousand rockets at Althou gh the Palestinian youth have lacked a single Israel since Monday evening.
    [Show full text]